FLUSHING TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Flushing Township Supervisor Don Schwieman claimed he was the township police chief after being pulled over earlier this month for suspected drunken driving, according to a police report.

His lawyer, Edward J. Farrell III, said he does not believe his client told police he was the police chief. He said there may have been some confusion on the part of the arresting officer on what Schwieman was trying to say.

Schwieman’s alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit when he was arrested for operating while intoxicated, according to the police report obtained by The Flint Journal through the Freedom of Information Act. A preliminary breathalyzer test put Schwieman’s blood alcohol level at 0.238 percent. The legal limit while driving is 0.08 percent.

“Schwieman said that (Sgt. Don) Gansen is the Interim Police Chief, but he is the police chief,” the report said. “I asked Schwieman how Gansen could be the police chief if he was the police chief and he stated, ‘Gosh, I don’t know.’”

Michigan State Police found a police badge — which is given to the township supervisor for his role as police commissioner — in the glove compartment of Schwieman’s car. As police commissioner, Schwieman is in charge of the police budget. The title does not hold any law enforcement merit.

Farrell said the preliminary breath tests are sometimes inaccurate and he is waiting to see the results of a blood test also taken that night.
Schwieman referred all questions to Farrell.
According to the report, Shiawassee County Dispatch received a call about 9:30 p.m. concerning a vehicle driving erratically on eastbound I-69.

The caller said that he saw the driver nearly hit three cars, according to the report.
Michigan State Police officers responding to the call tried to stop Schwieman’s vehicle as it passed M-52 on I-69.

Police put on the cruiser’s sirens, but Schwieman did not immediately stop, according to the report.
Police said Schwieman was driving on and off the shoulder.

Police activated a public address system to order Schwieman to stop.
When the vehicle stopped, police approached the vehicle with their guns drawn.

When he stepped out of the vehicle, he “only had on shorts and they were on inside out and backwards,” according to the police report.
Police also said Schwieman misspelled his middle name numerous times.

Schwieman, who has pleaded not guilty, has a pretrial hearing set for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.